| Abdalodon Temporal range: Wuchiapingian
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| A reconstruction of Abdalodon | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Clade: | Synapsida |
| Clade: | Therapsida |
| Clade: | Cynodontia |
| Family: | †Charassognathidae |
| Subfamily: | †Abdalodontinae |
| Genus: | †Abdalodon Kammerer, 2016 |
| Type species | |
| A. diastematicus Kammerer, 2016
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Abdalodon is an extinct genus of late Permian cynodonts, known by its only species A. diastematicus. Abdalodon together with the genus Charassognathus, form the clade Charassognathidae.[1] This clade represents the earliest known cynodonts, and is the first known radiation of Permian cynodonts.[1]
Abdalodon diastematicus is known from one crushed fossil skull from the Karoo Basin of South Africa.[2] Of all Permian Therapsids, cynodonts are among the most rare (Biarmosuchians being the only therapsids being of comparable rarity).[1] The fossil record of Permian cynodonts is characterized by a long ghost lineage.[1] Abdalodon has been important for discerning the early evolution of cynodonts. Abdalodon, and its sister taxa Charassognathus are both small bodied animals, Abdalodon having a skull around six centimeters in length [1] and the Charassognathus skull being slightly smaller.[3] This suggests that early cynodont evolution occurred at small body size, which could explain the rarity of Permian cynodont fossils,[1] because there is an inherent taphonomic bias against the fossilization of small bodied animals.[4]
- ^ a b c d e f Kammerer, Christian F. (2016-04-29). "A new taxon of cynodont from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone (upper Permian) of South Africa, and the early evolution of Cynodontia". Papers in Palaeontology. 2 (3): 387–397. doi:10.1002/spp2.1046. ISSN 2056-2802.
- ^ J., Botha-Brink; F., Abdala (April 2008). "A new cynodont record from the Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone of the Beaufort Group: implications for the early evolution of cynodonts in South Africa". Palaeontologia Africana. 43: 1–6.
- ^ Botha, J.; Abdala, F.; Smith, R. (March 2007). "The oldest cynodont: new clues on the origin and early diversification of the Cynodontia". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 149 (3): 477–492. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00268.x. ISSN 0024-4082.
- ^ Cowen, Richard (9 January 2003). "Biases in the Fossil Record". UCDavis.edu. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2018.